Ex-Campaign Staffer Indicted In Email Hacking Scandal

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted a former campaign manager of New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez for computer hacking that allowed him to receive email sent by the Republican governor, her staffers and supporters.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gonzales announced the indictments in Albuquerque on Thursday against Jamie Estrada of Los Lunas, who briefly served as campaign manager in 2009 as Martinez was starting her campaign for governor.

Estrada used password and username information to change a computer account for the governor’s 2010 campaign organization in 2011 after Martinez took office as governor.

The governor and her staff had continued to use the campaign computer account for some government business but the electronic mail was directed to a computer account controlled by Estrada. Some email was leaked to Martinez critics.